Potato-digger.



PATENT-ED APR. 28, 1903.

F. HEINRICH.

POTATO DIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2a. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED APR- 28, 1903.

I. HEINRICH.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

25W? 7 a? p PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

F. HEINRICH.

POTATO BIGGER.

uruonxon FILED APR. 26. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H0 MODEL.

: mamsyzwzas co. Pnmoumo, WASNINGT titan Aras A'rnNr twice.

FREDERICK HEINRICH, OF RUSH CITY, MINNESOTA.

POTATOPDIGGER.

Application filed April 26, 1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HEINRICH, a citizen ofthe United States,residing atRush City, in the county of Chisago and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in potato-diggers; and it consistsin providing means for digging the potatoes and conveying them to asuitable receptacle and in con tion, and Fig. 4 is a view of clutchmechan-' ism forming part of my invention.

In the drawings, A represents the side bars of the frame, connected bycross-bars 2 and provided with a suitable pole 3.

4represents carrying-wheels mounted upon the transverse shaft 5,journaled in the side bars of the frame. A plowshare 6 is secured to thelower ends of the bars 7, which have hinge connection 8 at their upperends with the side bars A of the framework. The plowshare is providedwith rearwardly-extending side guards 9 and with a downwardly-projectingunderneath guard 10. Mounted in the lower ends of the bars 7 is a shaft11, carrying at its ends sprocket-wheels 12, over which run thesprocket-chains 13, the upper ends of the sprocket-chains running oversprockets 14, mounted upon the shaft 15, journaled in the side bars A.The sprocket-chains 13 are connected by cross-bars 16, the wholeconstituting the elevator for the potatoes. Secured upon the shaft 15 isa double cam-drum 17, against the face of which abut the upper ends ofthe grate-bars 18, said bars having pivotal support in the side bars 7by means of the shaft 19. The bars 18 are connected by rods 20. As theshaft 15 rotates, the cam 17 will reciprocate the upper ends of the bars18, striking the elevator-chain and shaking the Serial No- 104,738. (Nomodeldirt from the potatoes. The lower end of the framework for theplowshare is supported by the uprights 21, connected bya cross-bar 22,adapted to fit into notches 23 of the bars 24, supported by the sidebars of the framework, as shown in Fig. 1. By supporting the crossbar 22in different ones of the notches the plowshare can be held in adjustedpositions. The uprights 21 are connected above the cross-bar 22 by across-bar 25, constituting a handle. From the elevator-chains thepotatoes pass onto the grate-bars 26, said bars having spring-support27, which will allow vibration of the bars to shake the small potatoesthrough the bars and carry the large potatoes into the receptacle 28.Downwardlyprojecting fingers 29 are supported above the grate 26 toguide the potatoes from the elevator to the grate.

The shaft 15 is actuated to operate the chain elevator by means of apinion 30,. loosely mounted upon one end of said shaft and engaging witha gear 31, mounted upon the secondary shaft 32, said secondary shaftcarrying a sprocket 33, connected by a chain 34 with a sprocket-Wheel35, carried by the adjacent drive-wheel. Upon the opposite end of theshaft 15 is mounted a sprocket-wheel 36, connected by a chain 37 with asprocket 38, mounted upon the horizontal shaft 39, journaled in theforward end of the machine. Upon the inner end of the shaft 39 ismounted a beveled gear 40, intermeshing with a beveled gear 41, mountedupon the upper end of the vertical shaft 42. Upon the lower end of thevertical shaft 42 is secured an oppositelycurved knife 43, carryingdownwardly-projecting prongs 44. Secured to the shaft 42, above theknife 43, are the wings 45.

In order operatively to connect the pinion 30 and shaft 15, I provide aclutch member 46, slidable upon the shaft 15 and adapted to be held outof engagement with the clutch member 47, carried bythe pinion 30, bymeans of a spring 48 engaging with the clutch-actuating lever 49. Awedge-shaped block 50 engages with the upper end of the lever 49 and isconnected by a link 51 with the hand-lever 52. By throwing thehand-lever 52 in one direction the block 50 is carried against the upperend of the clutch-lever to actuate the same and throw the clutch membersout of engagement. When the hand-lever is thrown in the oppositedirection, the clutch-lever will be released, allowing the spring 48 tocarry the clutch members into engagement, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the operation of the machine the knife 43, with itsdownwardly-projecting fingers, will cut and remove the weeds from infront of the plowshare, the wings 45 preventing the Weeds winding aroundthe shaft 42. The potatoes as they are dug by the plowshare will becarried by the elevator-chains to the grate 26, passing from the grate26 to the receptacle 28, the small and unmarketable potatoes droppingthrough the grate. While the potatoes are being lifted the shaker-bars18 will be actuated by the drum 17 to strike the elevator-chain andshake the dirt from the potatoes. By means of the uprights 21 theplowshare can be vertically adjusted to vary the depth of cut or to liftthe plowshare entirely from the ground. The downwardly-projecting flange10, carried by the plowshare, will keep the dirt and rocks from comingin contact with the shaft and sprocketwheels at the lower end of theelevator-chains.

I claim- 1. In a potato-digger of the class described,

the combination with its endless carrier, of

horizontal grate-bars at the rear of said carrier, and a spring-supportfor said bars at the end next to the carrier, the opposite ends of thebars being free.

2. In a potato-digger of the class described, the combination with theframework, a plowshare having hinge-support underneath said frame, andan endless carrier extending rearwardly from said share, of a gratehaving spring-support at the rear end of said carrier, and a series ofdownwardly and rearwardly extending fingers supported above said grate.

3. In a potato-digger of the class described, the combination with itsframework and endless carrier, of a horizontal grate havingspring-support at the rear end of said carrier, and downwardly andrearwardly extending spring-fingers supported above said grate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK HEINRICH.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MULLEN, P. M. OoNoBoY.

